The Petunia is a very popular plant and is used for flower bedding and potting in the summer season. There are only a few varieties of the Petunia plants which do not have an upright growth habit and which have a high resistance to rain, heat, cold, and diseases. The previously known Petunias of the REVOLUTION Series, such as `Revolution Purplepink` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,915), `Revolution Brilliantpink` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,914) and `Revolution Brilliantpink-mini` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,899) are of the decumBent type, have long stems, a lower plant height, abundant branching, and a high resistance to heat, cold and rain. However, there are only a few varieties having a great profusion of flowers, a yellow flower color, a very small flower size and a high resistance to rain, heat, cold and diseases. Accordingly, this invention was aimed at obtaining a new variety having a yellow flower color, and very small flowers combined with the above features.
The new variety of Petunia plant according to this invention originated as a limb mutant sport which occured as a spontaneous genetic variant of the `Sunbelchipi` variety (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,355).
The new variety of Petunia plant was discovered during April, 1997 in view of its flower color during the propagation of the `Sunbelchipi` variety at the Omni Nursery Center of SUNTORY Ltd., residing at 863-1, Aza-Iketani, Oomori-cho, Youkaiti-shi, Shiga-ken, Japan. The discovered Petunia plant was propagated by the use of cuttings from April, 1997 and then was grown in a bedding and potting trial from Jun, 1997 at the Plant Biotechnology Laboratory of SUNTORY Ltd. The botancial characteristics of the plant were examined, using a similar variety, `Sunbelchipi`, for comparison. As a result, it was concluded that his new Petunia is distinguishable from any other variety, whose existence is known to us, and is stable in its characteristics. The new variety of Petunia plant was named `Sunbelki` and is botanically classified Petunia hybrida. The `Sunbelchipi` variety was obtained as indicated hereafter.
Initially, 167 seedlings were obtained by crossing a wild type of Petunia plant naded `C1` as the female parent with another wild type of Petunia plant named `C2` as the pollen parent in November, 1992. From this crossing, 15 seedlings were selected during spring 1993 in view of their decumbent growth habit and flower coloration. Subsequentyly, 30 seedlings were obtained from a crossing of these selected 15 seedlings in the summer of 1993 and were grown. Sixteen seedlings were selected from these 30 seedlings. These selected 16 seedlings were observed during a trial when potted and when used as bedding plants. The botanical characteristics of finally-selected 16 plants were examined using the similar variety `Pearl Sky Blue` (unpatented) for comparison from spring, 1994 to spring, 1995. Finally, a single Petunia plant was selected in April, 1995. As a result, it was concluded that this Petunia is distinguishable from any other variety, whose existence is known to us, and is stable in its characteristics. This new variety of Petunia plant was named `Sunbelchipi`.
The female parent used in the crossing of `Sunbelchipi` was a wild type of Petunia plant named "C1" (.female.) native to Brazil, the seeds of which were gathered at Gramado, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil and introduced to Japan in January, 1992. The Petunia plant `C1` has an erect habit, abundant branching and a great profusion of blooms. The flowers are single, small and have purplish pink colored petals. The leaf shape is elliptic. The Petunia plant `C1` has a high resistance to rain, heat, drought and pests.
The pollen parent used in the crossing of `Sunbelchipi` was another wild type of Petunia plant named `C2` (.male.) native to Brazil, the seeds of which were gathered at Gramado, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil and introduced to Japan in January, 1992. The Petunia plant `C2` has a semi-decumbent habit, long stems, abundant branching and a great profusion of blooms. The flowers are single, very small and have reddish purple petals. The leaf shape is lanceolate. The Petunia plant `C2` has a high resistance to rain, heat, drought and pests. These wild type of Petunia plants `C1` and `C2` and `Sunbelchipi` are presently maintained at the Oumi Nursery Center of SUNTORY Ltd., residing at 863-1, Aza-Iketani, Oomori-cho, Youkaiti-shi, Shiga-ken, Japan.
In the following description, the color-coding is in accordance with the Horticultural Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England (R.H.S. Color Chart), and the Inter-Society color Council-National Bureau of Standards Color Name (I.S.C.C.-N.B.S. Color Name). Colors from The Japan Color Standard for Horticultural Plant (J.H.S. Color Chart) are also added for reference. The colors set forth are accurate under the growing conditions described for `Sunbelki`.
The characteristics of the similar variety `Pearl Sky Blue` used for comparison are as follows.
Plant: PA0 Stem: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: Moderate resistance to heat, cold and diseases and peSts. Strong resistance to rain. PA0 Growth habit: Decumbent to medium. PA0 Plant height: 15-16 cm. PA0 Spreading area of plant: The stem extends to length of 11-13 cm from the base. PA0 Growth: Very vigorous with abundant branching, a great profusion of blooms; the whole bush remaining in bloom for a considerable period of time. PA0 Blooming period: April to late October in the Southern Kanto area, Japan. The plant shape does not change throughout this period. PA0 Stem: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to rain, heat, drought and peSts, especially resistance to rain and heat is very strong.
Growth habit.--Medium upright. PA2 Plant height.--14 cm. PA2 Spreading area of plant.--15-17 cm in diameter. PA2 Blooming period.--April to September in the southern Kanto area, Japan. PA2 Thickness.--2.7 mm. PA2 Pubescence.--Dense. PA2 Branching.--Abundant. PA2 Length of internode.--1.3 cm. PA2 Shape.--Elliptic. PA2 Length. (average).--5.5 cm. PA2 Width. (average).--3.5 cm. PA2 Color.--Strong yellow green (R.H.S. 144A, JHS 3507). PA2 Pubescence.--Dense. PA2 Thickness.--0.5-0.6 mm. PA2 Leaf attaching angle to stem.--Horizontal to droopy. PA2 Facing direction.--Upward. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shape, with five petals. PA2 Shape of petal tip.--Obverse. PA2 Waving of petal.--Weak. PA2 Lobation of petal.--Shallow. PA2 Diameter.--5.5 cm. PA2 Color.--Petal: Strong bluish purple (R.H.S. 88B-76D, JHS 8310). Bottom color of the corolla throat and the outside color of corolla tube: light yellow green (R.H.S. 4C, JHS 3304). PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 normal pistil and 5 normal stamens. PA2 Peduncle.--0.7-0.9 mm in thickness, and 2.7 cm in length. PA2 Thickness.--2.3 mm. PA2 Pubescence.--Present. PA2 Branching.--Abundant. The secondary branching is particularly strong. PA2 Length of internode.--1.4 cm. PA2 Shape.--Lanceolate. PA2 Length.--5.1 cm. PA2 Width.--1.6 cm. PA2 Color.--Dark yellow green. (R.H.S. 146B, JHS 3508). PA2 Thickness.--0.2-0.4 mm. PA2 Pubescence.--Sparse. PA2 Leaf attaching angle to stem.--Slanted upward to horizontal. PA2 Facing direction.--Horizontal. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shape, with five petals. PA2 Shape of petal tip.--Medium. PA2 Waving of petal.--Weak. PA2 Lobation of petal.--Shallow. PA2 Diameter.--2.8-2.9 cm. PA2 Color.--Petal: Vivid purplish red (R.H.S. 66B, JHS 9707). PA2 Bottom color of the corolla throat.--Strong yellow (R.H.S 11A., JHS 2513). PA2 Outside color of corolla tube.--Light greenish yellow (R.H.S. 4C, JHS 2904). PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 normal pistil and 5 normal stamens. PA2 Peduncle.--0.7-0.8 mm in thickness, and 1.9 cm in length.
The botanical characteristics of the Petunia plant `Sunbelchipi`, which is the parent of the new mutant variety `Sunbelki`, are as follows.
This new and distinct variety of Petunia plant, `Sunbelki`, was asexually reproduced by the use of cutting at the aforementioned the Oumi Nursery Center of SUNTORY Ltd., and the homogeneity and stability thereof were confirmed.